On Thu, May 02, 2002 at 11:52:02PM -0400, John Boyle wrote: > To establish the bus and bicycle lane, the federal government paid nearly $1 > million of the $7 million cost of upgrading Chestnut Street. If that lane is > closed, the government might want its money back. > > The bill's sponsor, City Councilman Frank DiCicco, is working with the > office of Sen. Rick Santorum (R., Pa.) to allow the city to keep the money. > > But if the government insists on getting back its money, Primavera said, > Jefferson and its parking-garage developer, Interpark, are committed to > raising the money from Chestnut Street businesses or paying the cost > themselves.
It may be politicallly touchy for BCDV to lobby Santorum to let the city not pay back. But I think it well worthwhile for the rest of us to write him letters supporting the Feds insisting on getting the $1 million back. Otherwise the city can feel it can get paid for bike/ped/transit enhancements and then just pave them over after it's gotten paid. (Never mind that they don't enforce the right lane, and the whole idea was poorly conceived because it depended so much on enforcement.) TJU's arguments about saving lives are bogus, btw. Those people could as easily by driving on, say, Market, where a right turn is legal. Nothing particularly favors Chestnut, except that drivers would like to believe that they have preemptive rights to all roads at all times. -- Jeff Jeff Abrahamson <http://www.purple.com/jeff/> The Big Book of Misunderstanding, now in bookstores and on the web: <http://www.misunderstanding.net/buystuff.html> ---- You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the Bicycle Coalition of the Delaware Valley list named "bike." To subscribe or unsubscribe or for archive information, see <http://www.purple.com/list.html>.
